| Gloster II | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Racing seaplane |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Gloster Aircraft Company |
| Designer | |
| Number built | 2 |
| History | |
| First flight | 19 September 1924 |
| Developed from | Gloster I |
TheGloster II was a British racingfloatplane of the 1920s. A single-enginedbiplane, two were built to compete in the 1924Schneider Trophy air race. However the crash of the firstprototype during testing meant that it could not be made ready for the race, which was postponed. The second aircraft was also lost in a crash.
The 1923Schneider Trophy race forseaplanes had been won by theUnited States Navy with theCurtiss CR-3, a floatplane which outclassed Britain's entry, theSupermarine Sea Lion IIIflying boat.[1] In a change from previous years, where Britain's entries had been privately funded, the BritishAir Ministry ordered two racing seaplanes from theGloster Aircraft Company to compete for the 1924 race.[2]
The resulting aircraft, designated theGloster II, was a floatplane development of Gloster's earlierGloster I racing aircraft, which had won the annualAerial Derby air race three years running between 1921 and 1923, and had attempted unsuccessfully to break theWorld airspeed record in 1922.[3] It was a small single-seatbiplane of fabric covered wooden construction, powered by a closely fairedNapier Lion engine. It had short-span single bay wings and a twin float undercarriage, with radiators mounted on the struts supporting the floats.[2]
The first aircraft, with theserial numberJ7504, was ready for flight testing in September 1924.[2] However, when attempting to land after its first test flight, on 19 September 1924, the undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft sank, with pilotHubert Broad escaping unhurt.[4][5] There was insufficient time to prepare the second aircraft for the race, scheduled for October, but as no other European nation had an entry ready to compete, the Americans postponed the race until 1925.[6]
The second aircraft was converted to a landplane and used for flight testing equipment to be used for theGloster III racer being designed for the 1925 competition. It was lost in a high-speed crash landing atRAF Cranwell followingelevatorflutter in June 1925, the pilot, Larry Carter, being seriously injured, fracturing his skull.[7][8]
Data from Gloster Aircraft since 1917[9]
General characteristics
Performance
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era